In the Supreme Court w/c 1 February 2010

There are two appeal hearings listed next week. On 1 and 2 February a seven judge court (Lord Phillips, Lord Hope, Lord Walker, Lady Hale, Lord Brown, Lord Mance and Lord Collins) will hear the appeal in R (on the application of Sainsbury’s) v Wolverhampton City Council. The case concerns the use of compulsory purchase orders to promote the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area. The case is previewed here and the Court’s “case details” are here.

On Wednesday and Thursday, 3 and 4 February, a five judge bench (Lord Phillips, Lord Hope, Lord Rodger, Lady Hale and Lord Clarke) will hear the Home Secretary’s appeal in the case of R (on the application of JF) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – which concerns the Article 8 rights of sex offenders. The case is previewed here and the case details are here.

In addition, on 3 February 2010 the Court will hand down one judgment – in its first (and so far, only) Scots civil appeal,Grays Timber Products v HMRC, which was heard on 14 December 2009. The case details are here.

We do not know whether the Supreme Court has made any permission decisions this term. So far, none have been published by the ICLR.

Although no appeals were heard by the Supreme Court last week, there was one hearing, on Thursday 28 January 2010, when the Court considered the remedy which should be granted in what we must now call the case of HM Treasury v Ahmed ([2010] UKSC 2). The court was considering whether it should stay the effect of its order quashing the “asset freezing” regimes to which the appellants had been subject, to allow the government time to bring in alternatives. Judgment on this issue was reserved.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is not sitting at all next week and has not announced any judgments.